Tony Calder (27 June 1943[1] – 2 January 2018)[2] was an English record manager, impresario, talent-spotter, promoter and public relations agent.
During a career spanning over 50 years he was instrumental in promoting a number of successful songs in the UK Singles Chart, including the Rolling Stones "Little Red Rooster" and "Paint It, Black", the Small Faces "Itchycoo Park", Amen Corner's "(If Paradise Is) Half as Nice", Eddy Grant's "I Don't Wanna Dance" and Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers single "Swing the Mood".
[4] which gave him a significant insight into the music industry and led him to meeting Brian Epstein, The Beatles, Andrew Loog Oldham and Seymour Stein (who introduced Calder to his all-time record hero George Goldner).
[citation needed] The following year pop impresario Andrew Oldham and Calder merged their clientele to set up the UK's first independent PR-pop company, 'IMAGE.
In 1965, Calder and Oldham formed Immediate Records,[6] the first major independent label in the UK, eventually responsible for acts such as The Small Faces, Fleetwood Mac, Rod Stewart, The McCoys, Chris Farlowe, Amen Corner, P.P.
In 1971, Calder signed the new band Bay City Rollers with his booking agent business partner David Apps, but quickly relinquished the contract to Dick Leahy, head of Bell Records.